This isn’t shaping up to be a great year for Congress — specifically‚ the House of Representatives‚ and‚ still more specifically‚ House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). After the calamitously bruising battle to send more magic fedbux off to support wars deemed in America’s interest‚ which saw the speaker side with Democrats over outraged members of his own party‚ the nation’s legislature plumbed new depths of dissatisfaction among millions of Americans. For many voting citizens‚ the outrage turned on the quaint idea that our tax dollars are being allocated for purposes the people reject. The good news is your tax dollars are safe from that treatment. The bad news&;#63; That’s because our government is now based on slamming the “0” button on the national computer to add ever more zeroes to the end of the total federal budget. The more you know‚ the more you “earn” — light work under our legal system‚ where it’s extremely difficult to prove insider trading allegations. The ship of fiscal responsibility sailed a long time ago — it’s time to wake up to the fact that the feds simply create “dollars” out of thin air and “spend” them however they want. Your tax dollars are largely a fiction for budgetary purposes‚ even though their disappearance from your pocket couldn’t be more real. But though the swamp treats taxes like beatings meant to continue until morale improves‚ it’s really the spending that has Americans with torch and pitchfork in hand. Everyone knows taxes are a fact of life — unless you’re poor enough to be excused or rich enough to excuse yourself. What really has Middle America mad is the increasingly flagrant way that the nation’s power elite hoovers up real money for itself by making the printer go brrrr on multibillion-dollar expenditures just because they say so. The feedback loop works like this. Elected officials have already delegated away most of their governing authority to the swarm of bureaucratic agencies basketed under the executive branch‚ leaving Congress critters free to focus on their one true love — deciding how the infinite supply of invented value is given away. By showering this manna from a place somewhat south of heaven on favored corporations and cronies from K Street to Kyiv‚ members gain beaucoup bennies of their own. Not only do they gain in power and prestige‚ quickly cementing their ability to return to the trough — I mean‚ public office — again and again. They also gain the exit options they’ll eventually cash in on when their ability to luxuriate out of office exceeds their ability to do so within. But wait‚ there’s more. By pouring patronage on the places where they know the unelected bureaucrats will concentrate their corruption‚ they ensure that business opportunities ordinary Americans can’t access will bloom forth on a predictable‚ virtually foolproof schedule. And what that means is members of Congress can — wait for it — cash in on those opportunities‚ rigging up a system of rotating windfalls that keep the circular gravy train in perpetual motion. Examples&;#63; They’re plenty. They’re at the heart of the suspicious activity I went to Washington with Blaze Originals to put under an investigative blacklight. The resulting documentary‚ “Bought and Paid For: How Politicians Get Filthy Rich‚” gives you an eyeful of scandal: officials cashing in on insider information it’s actually not quite illegal to leverage for personal gain. Most who take advantage suffer‚ at worst‚ slaps on the wrist‚ even for the most egregious transactions — like placing big stock bets on defense contractors on the eve of the war in Ukraine or pushing the bounds of the rules while sitting on the ethics committee. The more you know‚ the more you “earn” — light work under our legal system‚ where it’s extremely difficult to prove insider trading allegations. (That wasn’t Nancy Pelosi adding to her millions by going all in on Nvidia stock right before it popped. That was her husband‚ a canny and avid trader&;#33;) Blaze Originals reached out to just about every member of Congress plausibly involved or interested in these goings-on — and‚ like Pelosi herself‚ just about every member stonewalled. But don’t worry. “Bought and Paid For” is full of big surprises‚ choice interviews‚ and inside info of our own. It’s no substitute for legislation‚ but it is a spur. Amid the House’s richly earned shame spiral‚ an extra dose of opprobrium might be just what the doctor ordered. The very‚ very least members could do to begin to atone for their profligate ways is to turn off the money tap‚ starting with themselves. There’s even legislation to help do just that ready for a vote in the House and the Senate. And with November looming‚ today’s super-traders would be well advised to apply their outsized talents for self-dealing to their political futures. Unlike their counterparts in the administrative bureaucracy‚ we can actually throw them out of a job. Cool it with the unseemly cash-grab‚ and maybe next term the better angels of their nature will get the upper hand. Or else&;#33;

Align: Vroom editors Paul Brian and Lauren Fix may be seasoned car industry experts‚ but that doesn't mean they're completely immune to the electric vehicle hype. &;quot;As far as looks ... spectacular‚&;quot; says Lauren. &;quot;Technology‚ amazing. And all of this entices you because the car manufacturers are doing something completely different than they did before.&;quot; But those compliments come with some pretty big misgivings. Should you hop on board the EV bandwagon&;#63; Paul and Lauren recently sat down with me to share their 10 reasons not to go electric.-- Matt Himes1. We've been down this road beforePaul: Electric cars are not new. When the 1901 Chicago Auto Show was staged‚ more than half of the fourteen vehicles that were shown at that show were electric vehicles. It's not a new idea at all. The problem is‚ is that there's this nasty little thing called practicality. It's all smoke and mirrors. This is all about control. Don't let anyone kid you that this electric car thing isn't about limiting your range.There are a lot of people who are saying‚ &;quot;I've seen all of this‚ I apparently should be doing it.&;quot; And then they get hit with the harsh realities of what happens with an electric vehicle.2. They're more expensive than you thinkLauren: If you're thinking about buying an electric car ... you have to look at the full costs. The first thing you're gonna do is [ask]‚ &;quot;What's the payment&;#63; Oh‚ ok‚ I think I can afford that‚ especially with all these incentives.&;quot;[But these incentives] are now only for 12 cars‚ that's it. Because they kept changing their regulations and they're gonna make them even stricter. Right now we have 12 cars that qualify‚ and not all the Teslas even qualify‚ only the high-performance versions do.And many of the states are out of the matching credits. ... [They] have either stopped or have no more money left in their funds to have matching credits to support this incentive.The insurance is twice as much or close to twice as much [as] a regular gasoline-powered car. The tires wear out quicker because these are heavier‚ they're low-rolling resistant and run-flat tires. They're not $100 a tire‚ they're $400 a tire‚ and they wear out about every 10‚000 miles. Of course‚ no one talks about that ... but it's important that you look at all the true cost of owning a vehicle.3. They depreciate faster than a Model S Plaid in Drag Strip modeLauren: Look at that really cool Porsche Taycan — I think it's spectacular. Unfortunately‚ [it's a] $200‚000 car [that's] available used for $100‚000. So‚ if you buy one of these vehicles‚ you're losing about half as soon as you drive off the lot. If you are considering an electric vehicle‚ a lease would be your smartest move. Walk away at the end of your two- or three-year period.Paul: Do not buy an electric vehicle. Period. Lauren: The battery replacement will make you cry. Some of them are as much as $60‚000 for a new battery. Lease it‚ give it back to the dealer. That's your smartest move.4. The charging infrastructure just isn't there yetPaul: I just took a trip up to Road America [race track] last weekend. I live in the Chicago suburbs‚ and I happen to have a Kia EV9. That's what I was driving last week.Lauren: Cool car‚ by the way. Very‚ very cool. Expensive‚ but very cool.Paul: I had to charge up on Friday night to make sure that I was topped off‚ and then I drove to Milwaukee‚ and I did some interviews at the Milwaukee Mile. Then I said‚ &;quot;Hey‚ you know what‚ I can't find a level-3 charging station in Elkhart Lake.&;quot;[A level-3 charger] you can read a comic book while you're charging; the other ones you better have a copy of a Leo Tolstoy novel with you.So‚ I had to drive from Milwaukee to Sheboygan‚ Wisconsin‚ to find a level-3 charger. Well‚ that's 35 miles‚ 40 miles away from where I was going — Road America. So‚ then I had another two hours while I was charging that vehicle. Lauren: Who's got two hours&;#63; Isn't time money&;#63; It is to me. Paul: When I finally got home‚ I had 19 miles of range [left]. It was terrifying because I'm watching that gauge closer than I'm watching the road.Lauren: [Ask yourself]‚ is there charging available around you&;#63; Now‚ we were just in California driving one of the newest Honda electric cars‚ and they said‚ &;quot;Oh‚ there's four superchargers in this northern California town.&;quot;So‚ we went there‚ and three of them weren't working. One of them was‚ but there was a Tesla there. If it takes 20 minutes to charge‚ you should kind of hang around. Nope: 20 minutes later [it was clear] someone had plugged it in and taken off.The fact is that you're relying on public charging‚ but you have to still pay for that. And there's a cost to it. And electricity in California especially is the most expensive in the country. And I live in New York‚ and Paul lives in Illinois‚ also extremely expensive. So the three of us live in states where it's just crazy expensive for electricity‚ and it's not going down. Look at your electric bill every month. Now‚ add in a charging station.5. Charging may pose hidden health risksLauren: They always say‚ &;quot;Oh‚ just sit in your car. It's fine. We have fully reclining seats and big screens and you can play video games‚&;quot; and it all sounds great on the surface.We've all heard‚ don't put your phone in your ear‚ right&;#63; Don't put your phone in your ear. Even these AirPods‚ if you put in two‚ it's causing all kinds of issues. Don't put your phone in your pocket‚ especially for guys. We've all heard and read about this in a million different places. But it's okay to sit in a car with alternating current. So‚ I actually have one of these gauges that I bring with me. The manufacturers hate when I bring it‚ so I have to keep it hidden.Paul: Did you get a tin foil hat&;#63;Lauren: [laughs] If you're sitting in the car while it's charging‚ you're not just exposing yourself but anyone in the car. So‚ it's like being in a microwave. It's alternating current‚ which is the problem. Actually‚ you were with me‚ Paul. We were at one of the vehicle [test] drives at the super fast charger [that] takes 20 minutes. So‚ I asked the guy‚ and he said off the record‚ &;quot;Get out of the car and go as far away as you can.&;quot;And I said‚ &;quot;Really&;#63;&;quot;He said‚ &;quot;We're not going to tell anyone this because I'll lose my job. But get in the car‚ and park the car‚ plug it in‚ and go. Just go get something to eat and walk away.&;quot;But they're telling us all in the mainstream‚ &;quot;Oh‚ you can sit in the car with your kid and your dog and you can play games and make it fun.&;quot;No one has addressed the medical side of this. And I fear that at some point‚ like much of the stuff the government sometimes pushes‚ [we'll find out it has health risks]. And I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat‚ you can talk to anyone.6. The capacity just isn't there yetPaul: And it's not only the infrastructure‚ but it's the capacity. I know about a company that — because they had bought into the hype so heavily — wanted to change their trucks to EVs. And it was‚ I think‚ a fleet of about 20 or 25 trucks that they had.And they went to the village board and the village board said‚ &;quot;Wait a minute. We're talking about you guys building this whole charging farm‚ and the amount of juice that you're requesting far exceeds the capacity of the entire village.&;quot; And it wasn't a small village. We don't have the capacity. We don't have coal plants. We don't have enough new plants to do it. Lauren: They want to shut those [coal plants] down. Paul: And it's just antithetical to what they're pitching. It's like nobody thought about this. They just said‚ &;quot;This is a new idea‚ this is good‚ we're saving Mother Earth. We've got John Kerry‚ we've got Al Gore‚ we've got St. Greta ...&;quot;7. They're bad for the environment ... and the roadsPaul: When Lauren said the tires are more expensive‚ there's a secondary problem with the tires as well. And that's particulate pollution.Lauren: It's bad. It's worse. It kills the air. There's less CO2‚ but you're breathing in particles of tire.Paul: [Because an EV] could be 1‚500‚ 2‚000 pounds heavier [than a gas powered car]. And so now you've got a whole lot more weight that's playing on those tires. Lauren: I have a lot of friends who are first responders and they say the biggest thing is when [an EV] catches fire for whatever reason‚ the problem is that it's a chemical reaction. It's polluting the environment worse than you can imagine. Not just digging up the raw materials to make the batteries‚ but if [a battery] catches fire‚ there's no way to recycle it. It's a nice idea‚ but the fact is‚ it'd be like me handing you a birthday cake and saying‚ &;quot;Could you take the eggs out&;#63;&;quot; I just read an article that older cars from the '60s and '70s are better for the environment than the new cars because of the impact from what we call in our business &;quot;cradle to grave.&;quot; In other words‚ from all its raw materials all the way to the finished product and then the end-of-life cycle.Paul: And secondarily‚ for a long time states have been very generous with licensing fees for electric vehicles. [Now] they're waking up‚ and they're saying‚ &;quot;Well‚ wait a minute‚ how come that our pothole problems‚ our repaving problems‚ all of those things‚ are costing us more than they ever did before&;#63;&;quot;Lauren: Especially on local roads‚ not necessarily highways. Highways are designed for 18-wheelers.Paul: The taxpayer is paying that.Lauren: The state of Texas is charging $400 when you register your car and $200 for every year after that. Every state is starting to charge by the mile. If you're thinking‚ &;quot;Well‚ I don't have to pay gas taxes&;quot; ... well‚ if you're not paying gas taxes‚ then who's going to repair the roads and bridges&;#63; That comes out of the general fund. And that's what a lot of states have done‚ including here in New York.They gotta come up with the money from some other places to pay for the electricity‚ to pay for the tax credits on a federal and a state level‚ and that's you who's paying for that. So‚ whether you think you're getting it for free‚ you're actually paying for it. Nothing is free.8. They're about government controlLauren: It's all smoke and mirrors. This is all about control. Don't let anyone kid you that this electric car thing isn't about limiting your range.Paul: [They're working on technology that] if you're not making your payments‚ the auto drive system will drive it back to the dealership‚ so that it will in fact repossess your vehicle for you.Lauren: Without a person. Paul: Yeah. Lauren: So‚ you come out‚ and you're like‚ &;quot;Where's my truck&;#63;&;quot; It's at the dealer because you didn't make your payments. They've been able to lock you out of your car for a long time‚ especially on used car lots. But if you look at the infrastructure bill from 2021‚ the one that apparently Attorney General Ken Paxton has found to be illegal because they passed it without people actually being in Congress‚ there is a kill switch [proposal]. It will monitor everything in your car.They put this under the guise of [stopping] drunk driving. They want to put in a fingertip device [on the start button]. So‚ you took a medication‚ you've had a stressful day. I don't know‚ maybe you were using rubbing alcohol to remove nail polish. You touch that [and the car will decide] whether you should start [it] or not. There's a company called Gentex. You want to look it up. It tracks from the rearview mirror. Your eyes and [the eyes of] every person in the car. Second row‚ third row‚ your dog‚ your kid‚ everyone‚ your facial movements‚ what's going on. If it feels you're stressed‚ you're not paying attention‚ that's going to be added into the AI in the computer in front of you. If you don't know if you have it‚ take your phone‚ just stand in front and take a picture [of your rear view mirror]. You'll see two red dots or blue or green. It's tracking your eyes. You've seen that. &;quot;Please pay attention to the road. Do you need a coffee&;#63;&;quot;9. Nobody wants themPaul: If you need some sort of an impartial barometer as to what's been going on‚ take a look at what's been happening at the car rental companies‚ where the car rental companies have just been having a horrible‚ horrible time renting the EVs that they already had.Lauren: Nobody wants them. Paul: Yeah‚ nobody wants them. They've sold off half of their inventory. And‚ and gee‚ what did they find out when they went to sell their existing fleet&;#63; Well‚ they're not really worth what they were worth. You know‚ what they thought they were. Lauren: They're taking a huge hit. Remember‚ there was a shortage of cars because of the chip shortage. So.Elon Musk‚ smart guy that he is‚ he's the marketing king. He went to the car rental company and said‚ &;quot;Hey listen‚ I've got cars‚ I can't sell them. Let's work a deal‚ I'll cut you a deal‚ you can offer electric cars‚ everybody's happy‚ the government's happy‚ you look like you're helping in the agenda‚ everybody's happy.&;quot;Well‚ people don't want them. I've talked to quite a few people‚ including myself‚ where I've gone to Hertz and they said‚ &;quot;Hey‚ we don't have that car that you wanted‚ that SUV‚ but we do have a Tesla.&;quot; They're so excited to tell you‚ and I'm like‚ &;quot;No‚ that's not gonna work.&;quot;So‚ are people accepting it&;#63; He goes‚ &;quot;No‚ we can't‚ we can't not rent them.&;quot; You have to return them fully charged. That takes time. When you're at a destination‚ whether it's a vacation or a business meeting‚ you have a very tight schedule. You go‚ you do what you need to do. You want to drop the car and take off at the airport. I get the field purchase option. If you look at the charging‚ you can't bring it in on fumes. And they've also found there's a high maintenance on tires‚ because like I said‚ tires wear out quicker‚ but also there's a lot of damage to these cars and the cost to repair the damage like any rental car.10. They're bad for AmericaLauren: We have more fossil fuels here‚ or oil‚ underneath the ground than any other country. But instead‚ we're buying it from Russia and the Middle East. And we're getting all of our battery materials from China. So‚ while you think it's being environmentally friendly‚ all you're doing is helping China and the Middle East and Russia make more money. Now‚ wherever you think about that politically has nothing to do with it. The fact is‚ we can be energy efficient‚ and we were. But this administration wants to be reliable on other countries.And China‚ of course‚ would love to take over our country by bringing in Chinese cars and owning everything that we have and making us basically sit at home and play video games all day.Paul: We're trying to limit the amount of Chinese product that we're bringing into the States. But if the Chinese build their plants in Mexico‚ well‚ then all of a sudden‚ there's a trade agreement that we have with Mexico and with Canada‚ that allows those same vehicles to be accessed by Americans. Lauren: You know what's interesting‚ Paul‚ is if you look at China‚ why they're telling us‚ &;quot;Oh‚ electric‚&;quot; because they knew they couldn't take over the U.S. car industry. They knew they couldn't beat the Germans. So they came up with this electric story and pushed the story‚ helped politicians get reelected by helping them push the narrative. Now‚ there are five Chinese car manufacturers building plants in Mexico as we speak. At the same time‚ they're building nuclear power plants and coal-fired plants in China. We're taking those down where they're building seven a week. So‚ they've got plenty of energy ... and of course they're building stuff quick because that's how they do everything. They're gonna build plants in Mexico already started‚ they're gonna be fully automated. I'm on the World Car of the Year. We've driven the Suzuki‚ the SAIC‚ BYD‚ all of them. As a matter of fact‚ I'm supposed to go to China to see the plants‚ which I'm finding very interesting. But the fact is they want to bring these cars in here. And what does that mean&;#63; Everyone's like‚ &;quot;Oh‚ great‚ low-cost cars.&;quot;Be careful what you wish for‚ because the big three automakers that are here in the U.S. and all the manufacturers that are building here‚ Honda‚ Toyota‚ all of these plants are going to lose jobs. And that affects not just the Dow‚ and the stock market‚ it affects jobs‚ it affects the economy. And believe it or not‚ the auto industry and all the little companies that support it is so big it's half of the Dow Jones‚ and people don't even realize that.

In the swampish waters of American politics‚ politicians love to portray themselves as champions of small businesses‚ fighting against the dominance of corporate behemoths. In reality‚ of course‚ they often act at the behest of large corporate interests seeking to consolidate power through subsidies‚ rule changes‚ and legislative trickery.A glaring example of this monopolistic cronyism is the government’s substantial financial support for tech giants like Microsoft. During the 2023 fiscal year‚ the U.S. government allocated nearly $500 million in subsidies to Microsoft‚ despite more than 50% of government workers expressing concerns about the vulnerability of their systems to cyber attacks due to their overreliance on Microsoft’s productivity technology.What could possibly be the rationale for continuing to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into substandard cybersecurity&;#63;Such a significant subsidy raises questions about the true motivations behind such allocations and underscores just how corporate interests hold sway in government decision-making.The worry among many government employees that relying too much on Microsoft technology makes them more vulnerable to cyber attacks should prompt change‚ especially given Microsoft software’s long history of security breaches.For more than two decades‚ hackers have exploited more than 280 vulnerabilities in various Microsoft software products‚ highlighting their inherent weaknesses.One of the more recent notable events occurred in the summer of 2023‚ when Microsoft Exchange Online was hit with a massive cyber intrusion. A subsequent investigation by the Department of Homeland Security attributed the breach to Microsoft’s negligence‚ which enabled a Chinese government-affiliated entity to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The breach compromised “22 organizations and over 500 individuals‚” including “senior U.S. government officials such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and American ambassador to China‚ R. Nicholas Burns” — lax cybersecurity practices and national security risks made possible by a largely unaccountable tech monopoly.The vulnerabilities within Microsoft's systems have not gone unnoticed by other U.S. adversaries. In March‚ reports emerged indicating that Russia’s SCR foreign intelligence service had exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft software to infiltrate the company’s internal systems. All the more reason for heightened vigilance and active measures to address systemic weaknesses inherent in our current technological infrastructure.Compounding these concerns are the recent cyber attacks targeting government agencies in the United States and Canada‚ which have raised serious doubts about the adequacy of their cybersecurity measures. In the United States‚ the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency experienced breaches in two critical systems: the Infrastructure Protection Gateway and the Chemical Security Assessment Tool. Similarly‚ in Canada‚ government agencies have fallen victim to cyber breaches‚ further exacerbating concerns about the security of critical infrastructure and national interests.Despite these alarming developments‚ both the United States and Canada continue to heavily invest in Microsoft. What could possibly be the rationale for continuing to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into substandard cybersecurity&;#63;In Canada‚ the government allocated a staggering $299.8 million to Microsoft during the 2021-2022 fiscal year‚ despite that country’s smaller federal government.Large investments and serious weaknesses in Microsoft’s systems highlight the critical need to reevaluate how governments buy technology and to use a diversity of suppliers to reduce security threats.Cybersecurity threats aren’t going away. Governments need to actively improve their defenses and protect vital services. They should use a variety of technology providers‚ enforce tougher cybersecurity rules‚ and hold big companies like Microsoft responsible for any security failures.By focusing on cybersecurity and using various strategies to manage it‚ governments can more effectively guard against cyber threats and reduce the risk of catastrophic damage from cyber attacks to key infrastructure and national security.

In the past several years‚ a succession of nutty-sounding books have been the talk of the town in the various organs of the elite media. We had “Between the World and Me‚” “White Fragility‚” “How to Be an Antiracist‚” and the book version of the “1619 Project.” One hears such books spoken of from afar. But the reality doesn’t truly hit home until‚ while riding the New York City subway‚ one feels the shock of seeing actual‚ living‚ breathing human beings — typically 30-something liberal women with asymmetrical faces‚ grave expressions punctuated by minimal makeup‚ thick-rimmed glasses‚ short‚ choppy hair‚ a denim jacket over a flowy‚ printed maxi dress‚ and canvas sneakers — flipping the pages of such books and seemingly‚ seriously reading them‚ fingers tracing and pausing on the words as though they were hierograms. That is the experience I had this past weekend on the subway when I spotted such a woman — that woman — reading the latest flavor of the coastal elite moment‚ “White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy‚” by Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman. The ironic picture that emerges from “White Rural Rage” is not of white rural rage but of white elite rage. I had‚ of course‚ seen the book written up in all the usual sources of elite groupthink‚ but I believed‚ na&;iuml;vely‚ that the basic premise of this one was too obviously outlandish‚ too plain stupid to catch on. The thesis‚ I gathered‚ begins with the assertion that white rural Americans harbor all sorts of purportedly anti-democratic (read: anti-Democratic) beliefs — racism (read: opposition to flagrant anti-white bias emanating from all the power corridors of elite society)‚ sexism (read: opposition to the war on men)‚ homophobia (read: outrage at the groomer culture that has some 30% of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+)‚ transphobia (read: belief in basic biological truths that pretty much everyone believed until a social contagion caught on among Western elites a few years back)‚ xenophobia (read: the belief that the U.S. border shouldn’t be a lawless free-for-all‚ with opportunistic law-breakers then rewarded with public benefits)‚ support for authoritarianism and Christian nationalism (read: support for Donald Trump) and belief in all manner of conspiracy theories (read: everything over the past eight years that the corporate press and the U.S. intelligence community insisted was false that turned out to be true and vice versa). Schaller and Waldman argue that rural white Americans are also more likely to engage in violence to defend such beliefs. Moreover‚ they claim‚ rural whites wield a disproportionate amount of political power because the sparsely settled‚ low-population states in which they tend to reside — Montana‚ Idaho‚ Wyoming‚ the Dakotas‚ etc. — get just as many senators as the high-population coastal states dominated by elite blue-bloods. Elites have a sordid history of pathologizing and demonizing the unwashed masses living in the backwoods. Such backcountry rubes‚ in the eyes of the powers that be‚ are Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables‚” Barack Obama’s “bitter clingers” to guns and religion‚ or Mitt Romney’s “47%.” They are always seen as white supremacists or fascists in waiting‚ with KKK robes and hoods ever at the ready in the shed out back. Shortly after the end of World War II‚ the &;eacute;migr&;eacute; Marxist Theodor Adorno published his book-length study‚ “The Authoritarian Personality.” In it‚ he developed the notorious‚ pseudoscientific “F-scale‚” which used psychological testing to attribute to much of the conservative U.S. population personality features — such as authoritarianism‚ conventionalism‚ aggression‚ religiosity‚ superstition‚ and toughness — that supposedly indicated a disturbing propensity toward fascism. A more recent version of the same species of political hackery masquerading as social science surfaced in early 2024. It attributed psychopathic‚ narcissistic‚ and Machiavellian tendencies to those with populist sympathies. Given the historical context‚ it's unsurprising that Democrats‚ who no longer represent the working class‚ have seen President Biden stop trying to unite the country. He often labels white supremacists‚ implying Trump supporters‚ as the biggest terrorist threat to the nation. Further belying Schaller and Waldman’s thesis‚ other research shows that highly educated progressive elites are the most politically intolerant individuals in America. Schaller and Waldman’s book is just the latest installment in this ignominious tradition. Scholars who research rural America‚ including actual scholars whose research was cited in the book‚ have accused the authors of misrepresenting and misconstruing the research in service of a foregone conclusion. “I spoke with more than 20 scholars in the tight-knit rural-studies community‚ most of them cited in White Rural Rage or thanked in the acknowledgments‚” Tyler Austin Harper wrote recently at the Atlantic‚ “and they left me convinced that the book is poorly researched and intellectually dishonest.” Key criticisms include a vague definition of “rural” that includes people from non-rural areas‚ no real proof that rural Americans feel “rage” as alleged‚ and overlooking studies by the very scholars they cite‚ which show rural Americans are less inclined toward political violence than those in urban or suburban areas. Schaller and Waldman’s weak and obtuse defense of their book against such criticisms resorts to calling critics “far right‚” uses rural votes or support for Donald Trump as a measure of racism‚ and‚ finally‚ attempts to rebut the charge that they are demonizing rural Americans by arguing that they are actually championing the rights of the rural non-white Americans who are the ones truly being overlooked. More damning evidence against Schaller and Waldman’s worldview comes from a recent Rasmussen poll showing that it is political elites‚ rather the angry rednecks these authors aim to ridicule‚ who are far more willing to cheat to win elections. Just 7% of all Americans said they would want their candidate to cheat to win an election. But when the elite 1% are surveyed — these are individuals who make over $150‚000 a year‚ live in densely populated areas‚ have postgraduate degrees‚ and are overwhelmingly liberal — that 7% number rises astronomically to 35%. When those members of the elite 1% who focus daily on politics are surveyed‚ the number rises still higher to 69%. Anyone wondering why Donald Trump is currently the subject of civil suits aiming to bankrupt him and unprecedented and wacky criminal charges brought either by President Biden’s own Justice Department or by activist liberal prosecutors need look no farther. Further belying Schaller and Waldman’s thesis‚ other research shows that it is not rural white Americans but these same highly educated progressive elites who are the most politically intolerant individuals in America. As people get more education‚ they tend to isolate themselves ideologically‚ often misunderstanding and misattributing beliefs to their political opponents‚ a trend that Schaller and Waldman’s book exemplifies. Unlike the postwar Democrats who were connected to the working class‚ today’s elite white liberals‚ including Schaller and Waldman‚ are detached from‚ uninterested in understanding‚ and frequently critical of the white working class. And so the ironic picture that emerges from “White Rural Rage” is not of white rural rage but of white elite rage — Schaller’s and Waldman’s and that of their many like-minded peers and readers in the woke coastal bubble — against a working-class population they have thus far been unable to gaslight and bludgeon into submission. If anything‚ their efforts have birthed a groundswell of opposition. It is in this light that their most wholly absurd claim — the suggestion that the white rural poor enjoy power disproportionate to their numbers — must be seen. Schaller and Waldman’s notion that rural Americans are the ones endangering American democracy is beyond laughable. Even on its own terms‚ Schaller and Waldman’s assertion that allotting two Senate seats per state‚ no matter its population‚ gives a boost to the white rural electorate is far from bulletproof. If things were as simple as they seem‚ the U.S. Senate would always have more Republicans than the House‚ where representation is more aligned with the real political leanings of American voters. Instead‚ Schaller and Waldman believe the current system gives too much influence to white rural Americans from states with smaller populations. But that has simply not been the case. Today‚ as during many other periods in our recent history‚ it is the House of Representatives that has been more subject to Republican control. But the sheer‚ brazen preposterousness of Schaller and Waldman’s conclusion that disproportionately poor‚ uneducated‚ underserved‚ politically alienated and disengaged rural Americans wield outsized political power becomes truly apparent only when we take a step back to reflect upon it. “If voting changed anything‚ they’d make it illegal‚” anarchist Emma Goldman famously quipped. While that may be something of an exaggeration‚ it cannot be seriously disputed that political power is not just about counting the number of senators or representatives per head. “Politics is downstream from culture‚” as the saying goes. It is‚ of course‚ the left elite’s cultural arbiters‚ rather than rural white Americans‚ who dominate nearly all our most influential institutions. These institutions drive a broad agenda consisting of policies — open borders‚ the war on law and order‚ drug legalization‚ the state-sponsored trans craze‚ anti-white racism‚ critical race theory and other DEI initiatives‚ and the attack on free speech — that are unpopular with much of the electorate yet continue to be forced down our throats by progressive elites. Clearly‚ the opinions of unrepresentative elites‚ not rural white Americans‚ control our politics. Schaller and Waldman’s opposite claim is so evidently misleading that it comes across as an intentional attempt at gaslighting‚ pure and simple. Just as absurd is the idea that it is rural Americans rather than connected political elites who pose the most danger to our democracy. On one side of the ledger is January 6‚ a largely peaceful political protest that regrettably went too far (and got escalated or was allowed to escalate under highly questionable circumstances)‚ though certainly without wreaking anything like the mass property damage‚ looting‚ havoc‚ and loss of life resulting from the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020‚ in which some 26 million people may have participated. On the other side of the ledger are: Authoritarian vaccine mandates and lockdowns; Crackdowns on free speech during COVID-19 by Big Tech‚ working in direct coordination with the federal government; Social media companies colluding with the FBI to suppress the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story‚ which could have swung the 2020 election; The Biden administration’s effort to launch an Orwellian “Disinformation Governance Board” to be chaired by Trump-hating political hack Nina Jankowicz and then persisting in the effort behind the scenes after the initial plan got massive pushback; The continuing banana republic-style political prosecutions of Donald Trump; The attempt by various Democratic operatives in multiple states to use a wacky theory concocted by Trump-hating academics to kick Trump off state ballots as an “insurrectionist”; and Big Tech building woke AI speech-generation and image-generation that attempts to impose a far-left bias on reality itself. Against this background‚ Schaller and Waldman’s notion that rural Americans are the ones endangering American democracy is beyond laughable. Turning finally to the matter of who it is that feels the most “rage” in America‚ research shows that it is liberals‚ not conservatives‚ who often start out as maladjusted‚ angry kids mad at the world‚ retain their propensity for negative feelings (what personality psychologists call “neuroticism”) when they grow older‚ suffer far more frequently from mental illness‚ and are far more likely to break off friendships over political differences. Incensed at the working-class Americans who do not share and who stand in the way of the full implementation of the “luxury beliefs” these elites champion‚ they then proceed to cast blame rather than look inward for the source of the problem and rage at the working class for its purportedly backward ways. “White Rural Rage” is just one of the many repugnant manifestations of that white elite rage.

It’s time for choosing — and when it comes to noncitizen voting‚ Congress is not waiting until November. American voters better get into the game before the tables are irrevocably turned against us. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and his fellow Senate Democrats recently sent a letter to Joe Biden demanding a quick path to legal status for the more than 10 million illegal aliens who have entered the United States since 2021. Those who say the threat of noncitizen voting is unfounded either aren’t paying attention or are simply lying. Durbin is no fringe character. He is the majority whip‚ the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate‚ and a 27-year incumbent from a deep blue state. Undefeatable in Illinois‚ he’s rumored to be ready to retire. Democrats are looking for a suitable Marxist to replace him. So Durbin has nothing to lose by planting the far-left flag for his party. With this letter‚ Durbin is laying out the party line on immigration heading into November 2024. Do I have your attention&;#63; States have already been denied access to federal migrant tracking databases‚ thereby preventing comprehensive voter registration citizenship checks. We are already registering millions of new arrivals for federal social service programs‚ which have voter registration attached by mandate of the National Voter Registration Act. Those who say the threat of noncitizen voting is unfounded either aren’t paying attention or are simply lying. Could Durbin’s missive lead to an executive order granting amnesty and citizenship status&;#63; Absolutely. Read Durbin’s list of demands for yourself. He demands the millions who came here illegally be granted a quick path to legal status‚ and he wants U.S. taxpayers pay for it. He demands full citizenship rights‚ which would include the right to vote. He demands that America change forever‚ without citizens ever having a vote or even a say about it. With a president and Senate already in alignment‚ a fractured House hanging by a one-vote majority‚ the border situation growing worse by the day‚ and a federal government aiding and abetting the lawlessness‚ the stakes are too high for American voters to stay silent. It’s time to start making a few demands of our own. Demand answers. Demand to know whether your senators and representatives agree with Durbin on the extreme demand that we grant quick legal status to over 10 million illegal immigrants. Demand that they state their position publicly. Demand that states be given access to federal data that will allow for efficient citizenship verification. This can all be done before the November election‚ but there is no time to waste. Election integrity is not an issue in 2024; it is the issue. Engage. Speak out. Demand leadership. Save the vote‚ save America.

In many ways‚ WoW The War Within represents a new age of World of Warcraft. A twisting tale told over a trio of smaller but more timely expansions‚ we've peeked behind the purple-trimmed curtain and got a few snippets of what to expect from the next chapter of Azeroth's ongoing story. With a new dawn comes the dusk‚ however‚ and the sun is now officially setting on one of Blizzard's Warcraft-adjacent endeavors. Continue reading WoW The War Within boots one of Blizzard’s most overlooked addons MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW The War Within beta sign up‚ WoW The War Within release date‚ The best WoW addons

With Borderlands 4 a distant speck on the horizon‚ there’s plenty of space for exciting co-op looter shooters‚ and The First Descendant beta in 2023 made me eager to see more of the open-world multiplayer game from Nexon‚ part of the publishing giant that’s given us Dave the Diver and The Finals‚ along with iconic MMO MapleStory. With a number of big improvements made to the Destiny 2 rival since those tests‚ one final public beta is taking place prior to the game’s launch‚ giving you a chance to see how the game is shaping up before it arrives. Continue reading The First Descendant is running one final public beta before launch MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The First Descendant system requirements‚ The First Descendant release date‚ Best free games on PC

What are the best Fallout 4 weapons&;#63; If you’re looking for the top weapons‚ you’ll need to scour the Commonwealth‚ looting buildings‚ taking on dangerous legendary enemies‚ and even uncover a secret or two along the way. You see‚ Fallout 4 offers up a huge range of weapons for players to try out‚ and depending on your playstyle‚ some are simply better than the rest. Fortunately‚ we’re here to tell you which ones to go after‚ and some more general tips on making the most of the weapons you already have. Finding the best weapons in Fallout 4 will make your time surviving the wasteland a lot easier‚ and a lot more fun. Many of the wide range of Fallout 4 quests available in the game task you with facing down tough enemies‚ from the radiation-dealing ghoul to the hard-hitting Deathclaw. In fact‚ as you traverse this RPG game you’ll need to make note of what types of weapon work against what types of enemies. Though some weapons are powerful enough to level pretty much anything in your path‚ of course. Here are our picks for the best weapons in Fallout 4‚ as well as a full list of the weapons you can find while exploring the Commonwealth. Continue reading Fallout 4 best weapons and weapons list MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fallout 4 console commands‚ Fallout 4 mods‚ Fallout 4 System Requirements

A new software update for the Asus ROG Ally will effectively enable you to enable frame generation in any game‚ thanks to AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames technology. Unlike Nvidia’s DLSS 3 frame generation tech‚ and AMD FSR 3‚ Fluid Motion Frames is simply enabled in the AMD GPU driver and doesn’t require specific game support. In theory‚ you just enable it and then enjoy your faster frame rates‚ although we’ve found the results can be variable. Continue reading Asus ROG Ally gets frame generation in every game‚ unlike Steam Deck MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review‚ Best gaming CPU‚ Radeon RX 7800 XT review

When does the Fallout 4 update come out&;#63; With the release of Amazon Prime's Fallout series came a somewhat surprise update announcement for the Fallout 4 game‚ which was released back in 2015. Bethesda promises to add a wealth of improvements to Fallout 4‚ including current-gen console upgrades‚ new items‚ and even new Fallout 4 quests to take on. It has stated that Fallout 4 mods should still work after the update‚ unless those mods rely on &;quot;version-sensitive content.&;quot; If you're questioning what the Fallout 4 update time is‚ we've got all the answers. Continue reading What time is the Fallout 4 update&;#63; MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fallout 4 console commands‚ Fallout 4 mods‚ Fallout 4 System Requirements